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Wii U's TVii, video-on-demand services not available at launch

The Wii U's TVii is coming in December, and VOD services like Netflix and Hulu are due "in the coming weeks," according to Nintendo.

Nintendo made the Wii U's TVii functionality a big part of its E3 presentation this year, but don't expect to have it right out of the box. In a fact sheet in preparation for this weekend's system launch, the company confirmed that both the TVii and Video On Demand services won't be available until sometime in December.

The TVii feature, which lets you browse TV shows and set preferences according to your Mii profile, explicitly mentions a December release date. Video on Demand apps like Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Instant Video, are slated for release "in the coming weeks" -- which, given a late November release, also probably means December. Once the VOD apps release, their content will be sorted into the TVii menus alongside standard television.

If you connect your Wii U to the Internet, you'll get a notification when these options become live. But if you were hoping to show off all the bells and whistles of your new console after the Thanksgiving parade, you'll have to scuttle those plans.

Steve Watts

Editor-In-Chief

Steve Watts' youthful memories are are a blur of pixels, princesses, castles, and Mega Busters. After writing about games as a pastime for years, he got his first shot at a paid gig at 1UP. He's freelanced for several sites since then, and found a friendly home at Shacknews. His editorial duties include news, reviews, features, and lunatic ravings. He lives in the Baltimore-Washington area with his shockingly understanding wife.